Thứ Hai, 15 tháng 7, 2013

Holidays to Canada: On a roll in the Rockies where perfect scenery unfolds every minute


By

Bel Mooney




PUBLISHED:


04:11 EST, 16 June 2013




|

UPDATED:


06:04 EST, 25 June 2013




First – the confession. I never had much interest in visiting Canada. Passionate about the USA, I believed that crossing the Atlantic meant you’d head for San Francisco, not Saskatchewan. It took an invitation to a wedding to show me how wrong I was.


My husband’s niece was to be married in Canmore, Alberta, so we decided to take a two-week holiday before the happy day. And now? I’m delighted to report that Canada is a superb holiday destination, with something for everybody.


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Highway to heaven: Bel drove to Jasper on the beautiful Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North)


I thought Canada’s fame as the dream

place for sporty, outdoor people would be a stumbling block to my

planning. White-water rafting, climbing, hiking, bicycling, skiing …

er … not for this lady. But I love awe-inspiring scenery, wildlife,

museums and art galleries, wine-tasting, sophisticated shops, and

historic sites – with perhaps a relaxing spa thrown in.


My husband and I both love road trips too. So we decided to start in Vancouver, British Columbia, and drive to Calgary, Alberta, creating as varied a tour as possible.


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Meet the locals: A black bear at Grouse Mountain, near Vancouver


I adore cities and knew I’d enjoy Vancouver’s galleries and restaurants, Stanley Park and the cobbled streets of historic Gastown. But I didn’t expect the wild expanses to be so near. You take a skilift up to the top of Grouse Mountain (a 20-minute shuttle from the heart of the city) for spectacular views – as well as a ‘meeting’ with two rescued grizzly bears that live in the wildlife refuge. In the Rockies we would see bears in the wild, but this was much closer – as well as safer.


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Shore to please: A resort on the waterfront of Pyramid Lake


The highlight of Vancouver (apart from staying at the stunning Rosemont Georgia Hotel) was a day at sea with Vancouver Whale Watch. This was not so much about seeing the whales – although, after hours of cruising, we did – as about learning patience and feeling at one with the natural world. We were kitted out with yellow oilskins, woolly hats and gloves that didn’t feel necessary in the warmth of the little port, Steventon.


But it was pearly-grey and chilly at sea. When we saw the majestic tails of the humpbacks, and the thrilling sight of them throwing themselves briefly out of the water, I knew this was something I would never forget. Magical.


You could spend a week in Vancouver but we had to start our journey up to the mountain town of Whistler, which in winter is buzzing with skiers. We had just one night there before setting off on the four- to five-hour drive to Kamloops. This large city gets its name from the local native Canadian tribal word meaning ‘meeting of waters’ – since two rivers join here. We wanted to find more about the First Nation (as we learnt to call it), so went to the Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park to look at tepees, pottery, and the remains of a 2,000-year-old village.


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Canada convert: Bel loved the stunning scenery…and the unexpected high culture


Kamloops led us into Canada’s wine region, the Okanagan. No, I didn’t know they made wine, either – but by the time we’d tasted local spirits, wine and that utterly delicious Canadian product, ice-wine (made from grapes that have been left to winter’s blast), we realised what we’d been missing. There can be few experiences more surprising than finding yourself in British Columbia on a warm sunny day, surrounded by vineyards and heart-stopping scenery, sipping excellent wine.


Up to this point we had enjoyed unusually fine autumn weather. So we were looking forward to the long, climbing drive through the Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks to lunch at Canada’s highest restaurant on Kicking Horse Mountain. But the skies clouded and the skilift juddered up and up into cold, swirling, mist. In the restaurant, the friendly manager told about all the weddings they host, praised the 360-degree views of the Purcell and Rocky Mountains – and promised the mist would lift. He sounded sweetly desperate!


When snow suddenly rattled against the windows, we knew there’d be no views that day. Yet it’s impossible, whatever the weather, to travel through the Canadian Rockies without seeing scenery that unfolds with more heart-stopping beauty every minute. We were heading for Alberta, but not before being introduced to yet more wonders of BC at Yoho National Park.


Lake Louise is renowned for its ice-blue water, but was ruined for us by the ugly hotel complex on its edge, so vast, hideous and overrun with tourists that it drove us away. Luckily we were staying on Emerald Lake (to me, much more beautiful), just 20 minutes away. Our cabin had no TV, internet access or mobile-phone recep-tion, and we walked all around the perimeter of the beautiful green lake, feeling we were in another, better world.


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Saying hello: Bel meets an elk and her calf at Pyramid Lake, Jasper


From Emerald Lake you can see Mount Burgess, where, in 1909, a palaeontologist discovered the earliest fossils in recorded history. The Burgess Shale is world-famous, and it’s possible to book a hike to the site … but for me, the excellent Visitor Centre at Field was better. Surely this is one of the great achievements of modern tourism – we can learn so much without trampling all over nature.


Sadly, that’s not the case when you visit the Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure. This I hated, although it is one of the most popular attractions in the area. You climb into massive, giant-wheeled trucks with hordes of other tourists and trundle up to the Athabasca Glacier, to slip and slide in a freezing wind while noisy people take their photographs.


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Wise enough: On Grouse Mountain, Vancouver, Bel met an eagle owl in the wildlife refuge


It feels like being a vulgar intruder within the majesty of nature. It seems ironic, with all the talk of global warming, that these excursions are allowed. In my opinion, people ought to be able to join guided hikes up to the glacier, or simply admire it from afar.


We had crossed into Alberta and were heading along the spectacular Icefields Parkway to the pretty town of Jasper. This has to be one of the great roads in the world – magnificent in scenery and wildlife. You get used to cars screeching to a halt because somebody has spotted a bear or an elk, and you leap out to see what’s there. Once it was a young bear, munching peacefully near the edge of the road. You have to be ready to leap back into your vehicle if the bear comes your way. Ditto the bull elk you see everywhere.


In the winter, Jasper and Banff are both

famous ski resorts, in summer and autumn they are buzzy little towns,

full of good shops, restaurants and museums. In both we stayed just

outside the centre, which meant that in Jasper we had access to

beautiful Pyramid Lake and in Banff we could explore Tunnel Mountain,

which native Canadian people call ‘sleeping buffalo’. It’s interesting

that mountains, valleys, lakes and hot springs had great spiritual

significance to the First Nation tribes, and now we too enjoy these

beautiful places for rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit.


As always with a road trip, you reach the end wishing there had been more time. We’d covered more than 3,000 miles from Vancouver. Truly, I could spend a week in any of the places we had been to. No matter. I like to think of these trips as tasters, knowing that at least we have an idea of the riches still to be explored. And when my husband’s niece Hilary walked down the aisle in Canmore, marrying a handsome American, it was as if all our different worlds were joining in celebration.


Travel facts


North America Travel Service (northamericatravelservice.co.uk) offers a 14-day fly-drive holiday flying into Vancouver and out of Calgary on British Airways from £2,355 per person including flights, accommodation and Alamo car hire (www.alamo.co.uk). You can find information on accommodation by visiting the following websites: Vancouver: Fairmont Waterfront (fairmont.com/waterfront); Rosewood Hotel Georgia (rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotelgeorgia).



Whistler: The Crystal Lodge (crystal-lodge.com)


Vernon (Okanagan region): Sparkling Hill Resort (sparklinghill.com)


Yoho National Park: Emerald Lake Lodge (crmr.com/emerald)


Jasper: Coast Pyramid Lake Resort (coasthotels.com)


Banff: Buffalo Mountain Lodge (crmr.com/buffalo)


Canmore: Grande Rockies Resort (granderockies.com).







The comments below have not been moderated.



I’ve been to Canada 5 times and absolutely love it! Never been to the west coast but about a 4 hour drive north of Toronto is algonquin provincial park and has some amazing scenery. I must go back soon.



Kat

,


Wigan,

11/7/2013 21:22


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Lake Louise area and Banff in winter. Best. Ever.



drSteve

,


florida, us,

06/7/2013 00:39


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single canadian men like cuba!



old dollop

,


hampshire, United Kingdom,

02/7/2013 22:00


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Now you have to come back and visit Ontario and Quebec. Awesome scenery and some of the best vineyards in our Niagara region. Great shopping in Toronto and Montreal. I’ve travelled all over the world and am so proud to be Canadian. Friendliest people ever:)



carolyn6360

,


Toronto, Canada,

02/7/2013 20:00


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I know that Canada is big but how did you manage to cover 3,000 miles between Vancouver and Alberta. Even if it was kilometres (all cars hired in Canada show speeds and distances in kilometres) that’s a lot when you consider that it’s about 1,500 kilometres between Vancouver and Calgary by road.



jamied

,


Quebec, Canada,

02/7/2013 13:31


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Done 2 trips to Canada. First to Vancouver and toured surrounding area in RV. Enjoyed it so much went back following year to see the Rockies. It’s a fabulous place. If you like spectacular scenery it’s for you. Hiring an RV is the best way to do it.



ct

,


Scotland,

30/6/2013 14:16


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Ok folks that’s enough ,,, as you may have realized by now we are more than happy to keep Gods own country as much a secret as possible , we lov you lot but we are happy to keep it to ourselves .



Ed Allen

,


Whitby Canada,

22/6/2013 01:18


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Been to Canadian rockies 4 times


One way car hire recommended starting in Calgary around stampede time and head to mountains

recommended is okanagan area for a bit of californian scenery and tan top up

Couple with the scenery and finishing of in vancouver excellent

And can be done on pretty reasonable budget.

Especially for families as lovely modern cabins can be had a good prices

stayed at mystic springs canmore nice chalets



donald200

,


glasgow,

18/6/2013 23:32


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Maligne Lake, just about an hour from Jasper, is the most beautiful place I have ever visited. If you are in the Jasper area you must go there and take the boat rip to Spirit Island. you will not regret it!



Carlos

,


Hampshire, United Kingdom,

17/6/2013 08:43


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Canada is the most amazing country I have ever been to. I lived both east coast and west. It is amazing in so many ways and the people are fab! Anyone fancy sending me back? icon smile How to pack so you only need a carry on



Lou

,


Anywhere but here, United Kingdom,

16/6/2013 22:14


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